The Cassie Skywalker Chronicles
by Lady Dawson
Summary: What if everything that you know about Star Wars is wrong? What if instead of Anakin, it was Padme who fell to the Dark Side? What if instead of Luke and Leia, there was another set of twins? See what could've been as Cassie Skywalker begins her journey to fulfil her ultimate destiny.
1. Prologue

**AN:** Okay, this is a completely-and I mean COMPLETELY-AU story. There is no Luke or Leia; Cassie is my own original character. You have been warned.

**The Cassie Skywalker Chronicles**

by Lady Dawson

Prologue

All throughout the streets and beyond, stretched out as far as the eye could see and continued on, the people of Naboo celebrated. The cheers for their victory, their renewed sense of freedom was constant; there was nowhere upon the planet that was not celebrated the return of peace. Both Naboo and Gungan alike were dancing and laughing, relishing in their new alliance.

All but one.

From the palace window, still donned in the white gown she had worn for the festivities, Queen Padmé Amidala watched the celebrations impassively, her brown gaze shifting towards the Jedi Cruiser as it flew away from the landing platform, shooting for the stars—and taking a certain young Padawan with it.

Her hands clasped over her gown, Padmé watched it disappear, her lips pierced together in disapproval.

"I'm not so sure this plan of yours will work," she said without turning around. She didn't need to look behind her to know who it was that was approaching her soundlessly; she had sensed him before he even stepped into the room. Even when he was across the galaxy, she could hear his commands as though he were standing right next to her.

"Do not worry, my dear," Chancellor Palpatine said with a quiet chuckle as she turned to face him. "I have every faith that my plans will succeed, when the time comes for it. We must be patient. I am not about to let this opportunity slip away, not now that it has presented itself to us."

Padmé took a deep breath, now more sure than she had been when she first informed him of young Skywalker.

"So I _was_ right," she said. "The boy is the one . . . the one that the prophecies refer to . . . the Jedi's so called Chosen One."

"Oh, I have no doubt," her master agreed, folding his arms over his chest. "For one to be as strong as he is in the Force, he would certainly have to be. And his midi-chlorain count is higher than anyone I have ever come across, myself included. Thank you for forwarding that information to me," he added. Padmé inclined her head to him. "In any case, those foolish Jedi would never have allowed him into their Order so late unless they were sure he was their prophesized one. But do not fret, my dear; everything will fall into place and the galaxy will soon return to the rightful rule of the Sith. Already, we have revealed ourselves to them. Our vengeance will come and they will fall, the Republic with them."

"But how can you be so sure? Forgive me, my lord, but they have the Chosen One . . . they're going to train him . . . he will be the most powerful Jedi that has ever existed. I can already sense that; why can't you? Why didn't you let the droids finish him while we had the chance?"

"Do not raise your voice to me, my young apprentice," Palpatine said shortly. Padmé bit the inside of her mouth, silently chiding herself for talking back to her master. "And do not think that I am unaware of Skywalker's future. There is no doubt as to what he will become."

Shaking her head, Padmé looked back to the vanished cruiser. "We should have gotten rid of him while we had the chance. He's just a boy; he's not a threat to us now. In that space battle, we could have gotten rid of him and no one would have known the difference. But now . . . he's under Jedi protection now. He will become a man and a Jedi at that! And he will be our downfall."

"So certain are you of our failure," Palpatine said coolly, "but I have plans which include young Skywalker."

"If you plan on swaying him to our side, then it would be more prudent to take him now, before he is warped by their teachings—"

"I'm afraid that bringing him to our side no longer is of any interest to me; I have a much more interesting plan in store for him."

"And what is that?"

"I've had a vision," he replied, "of young Skywalker and his child united in battle against the Sith. And they succeed in destroying our order," he added, causing Padmé to gasp. "Do not look so shock, my dear. After all, the prophecies _do_ say that the Chosen One will destroy our order and bring the Force back into balance. It is his destiny, after all."

"But—but his _child_? I don't understand; the Jedi would _never_ allow their kind to father a child, let alone Anakin. They've already broken enough rules for him; they let him into their order long past the age requirement. Why would they allow him to have a child? They would not overlook it."

"Nevertheless, what I saw will one day come to pass."

Padmé paused, gathering her thoughts, choosing her words very carefully. "Then . . . why keep him alive? If what you say is true, then we should kill him now, before he can father that child, before he can become a Jedi."

Her master chuckled. "So eager for blood, you are, Padmé. I have to admit, I did consider that possibility, but . . . I have a much more interesting plan, one which includes the survival of that child . . . and this plan is entirely dependant upon you, my dear. Everything depends on your success."

"You know I would do anything to take down the Jedi and restore the galaxy to the rule of the Sith. Just tell me what I need to do."

"Nothing," he replied. "All you need to do at the moment is play the peaceful Queen who has fought for her people's freedom and ended an age-old feud between Gungan and Naboo. I must say, that was a brilliant move on your part," he added. "Let them believe that you fight for peace and justice . . . and then when your reign as Queen ends, I will arrange for you to be elected Senator. And then, when the time is right, I'll see to it that you and Skywalker will be reunited. When that happens," he added, "I want you to seduce him."

"Seduce him?" Padmé echoed, realization settling upon her. "You mean for me to bear his child."

"Any child of Skywalker's will be very powerful in the Force," Palpatine replied, "and I want that child to be raised in our beliefs, in the ancient art of the Sith. What better way to ensure that than for you to be his mother? Your son will be a powerful weapon in our war against the Jedi."

"Skywalker's blood, his incredible connection to the Force, but raised in our ways," Padmé murmured. It sounded too good to be true . . .

"Can it be done?"

"I will do as you bid me, my lord," Padmé said at once. "But can you be sure Skywalker will play his part?"

"Oh, I have no doubt that his childish affection for you will grow as he becomes a man, especially with proper encouragement. Love, you know, can be a useful weapon, if used properly. All you have to do is let him believe that you return that love, play on his love for you and he will do what we need. After you bear the child, then we can deal with Skywalker. But we'll speak of this more when you come to Coruscant. For now, let the Naboo believe in their victory. It is only a small one. Very soon, the Clone Wars will begin."

"Yes, my master," she said, knowing when the conversation was over. "I'll see you at the banquet tonight?"

"Of course, Your Highness," he said with the friendly smile that was his true visage.

Turning away, she slipped out of the corridor, her heels clacking all the way down the hall, but she hardly noticed, her thoughts focused entirely on the plan her master had divulged to her.

A smile wormed its way across her lips as she thought eagerly of the years that lay ahead.

They would have the weapon that they needed to destroy the Jedi.

Skywalker's child . . . _her_ child . . . it was almost too perfect to image.

_You had better enjoy your victory,_ she sneered towards the celebrating Naboo and Gungans. _Because when our time comes, there won't be anything left for you to celebrate about. And our time is coming . . . and not even the Chosen One will be able to stop us when it does._

* * *

_Thirteen years later . . ._

Anakin paced back and forth across the Jedi Council Chambers, trying not to think of what was happening at the Senate building, forcing himself to sit down and pull himself together, but it was taking everything that he had just to remain there in that chamber and not race over to the Senate building and do something about all of this; whether to stop it or help the masters, he still wasn't sure.

He still couldn't believe it; the kindly old man that he had trusted with some of his darkest secrets, who had been his mentor for over a decade was nothing but a lie . . .

All this time, he had been a Sith Lord—and not just any Sith Lord, but the one that they'd been looking for all this time. Anakin still had trouble grasping this concept; this was his friend, his mentor that he was talking about it. He thought that he _knew_ Palpatine, thought that . . .

But it was just a lie, to get him to trust him . . . but for what? To turn him against the Jedi, to seduce him to the Dark Side? The thought made Anakin sick. If he thought that Anakin was ever going to help him murder his brothers and sisters, then he was even more delusional than he thought.

_Padmé . . . _

The visions that had been plaguing him for weeks now flashed through his mind as he shivered slightly, lowering his head and gripping his bangs tightly.

She was going to die; he had seen it in his visions. And he knew that what he was seeing was true. As much as he loved the child that was growing inside her—their child—he hated that they would be the cause of his beloved wife's demise. He had to save her and the Chancellor was the only one who knew how.

Before he even realized what it was he was doing, Anakin had jumped from his seat, racing out of the Council Chambers, running as fast as his legs would carry him for the hanger, jumping into the first speeder that he reached.

Obi-Wan was forever reproaching his reckless piloting, but somehow, if he had been in the seat next to him, Anakin had a feeling that his old master would be longing for his piloting when he was calm. He pushed the speeder to its limits, forcing it to go as fast as it was capable of going, inwardly praying to the Force and any higher being that was listening that he wasn't going to be too late.

Anyone that was in the corridor jumped out of his way as Anakin ran through the Senate building, racing up to the Chancellor's office, bursting through just in time to see Mace Windu with Chancellor Palpatine a lightsaber-point, his dark gaze fixed upon the fallen Sith Lord. He was seemingly unaware of Anakin's arrival, but he still knew that Anakin was there.

"You are under arrest, my lord," he said calmly as Anakin approached them, torn between what he was going to do.

"Anakin!" Palpatine cried out, his gaze flickering towards Anakin. "I told you—I told you hat it would come to this! I was right! The Jedi are taking over!"

"The oppression of the Sith will never return!" Mace vowed. "You have lost."

And then, Anakin watched as the mask of Chancellor Palpatine faded away and in that moment, he saw him for what he truly was, a Sith Lord who was determined to destroy everything that Anakin knew and everyone that Anakin loved. In that moment, Anakin knew what he had to do.

_Forgive me, Padmé,_ he thought. But he knew she was understand; if he helped Palpatine, if he turned to the Dark Side, he would become nothing more than the man before him, just a shell of who he was. As much as it broke his heart at the thought of losing his wife, at least their child wouldn't lose both his or her parents. This was, at least they would grow up free of a galaxy threatened by the Sith.

As Palpatine hurled Force-lightning at Mace, Anakin rushed forward, activating his lightsaber to aid the Jedi Master, deflecting the lightning and returning it to its master, grunting as Palpatine narrowed his eyes at him before hurling a blast of lightning at Anakin's chest.

Anakin flew over the desk and hit the wall opposite with titanic force, crumpling onto the ground, the breath knocked out of him.

Struggling to force air into his lungs, Anakin gripping the wall behind him, straining to pull himself upright, watching helplessly as Palpatine suddenly had a lightsaber in his hand—scarlet, like all Sith Lords—and then, Mace screamed as the hand holding his lightsaber was cut away, flung out the shattered window.

A split-second later, he was hit by Force-lightning and with nothing to deflect it with, he was flung backwards into the busy Coruscant skyline, falling through it and crumbling onto the streets below.

For a moment, Anakin couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything except stare, aghast, at the place where Mace Windu—the strong, wise, noble Jedi Master who had been on the Council since Anakin first arrived—had finally fallen.

"You . . ." he gasped, snatching up his lightsaber and reactivating it after it had fallen from his grasp when he fell. "You're a monster . . ."

"And I see now that Padmé was correct all those years ago," Palpatine said. Anakin flinched at his wife's name. "She knew that we should have eliminated you when we realized who you were: the Chosen One. But I knew better; I knew that your child would play an important role in all of this. And now we have what we want."

"What are you saying?"

"My dear boy, do you really think that a respected and wise Senator would throw all of it away for a Jedi Knight, no matter who he is? She's even better than I thought she was," he chuckled, shaking his head. "You never once suspected that she might have an ulterior motive? You thought, perhaps, that she was willing to risk her reputation for you, that nothing was more important than her love for you? No," Sidious said quietly, "no, my young Jedi. She has been my apprentice since before she was old enough to speak. And she did what she was supposed to do; seduce you and bear your child. And that child will be the most powerful Sith that the galaxy has ever known."

"NO!" Anakin yelled, lunging forward with his lightsaber, but Sidious parried his attack. For such an old man, he moved with surprising agile, matching every one of Anakin's attacks with one of his own while anguish fell upon Anakin as doubt wrenched up in his mind.

What if he was telling the truth? What if Padmé really was . . . and if she was, then that meant that their love, marriage . . . _everything_ had been a lie . . . Anakin had trouble breathing at the thought.

"Give up, boy, and I will make your death painless," Sidious crowed. "I assure you, we have a glorious future planned for your child—once I take control of the Senate and get rid of this pesky, foolish Republic and create the new Empire, that child will be groomed to be my successor—"

"Never!" Anakin vowed, shaking his head, taking several deep, calming breaths to clear his thoughts. "You'll never destroy the Republic and you will never lay a hand on my child!"

With furious thoughts running through his head, an enraged Anakin fought furiously against the Sith Lord.

_"Dad, no!" _

Anakin stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a small, faint, but distinctive female voice shout at him. His breath caught in his chest as he glanced furtively around him, wondering if he was going crazy, but there was no one there; he and Sidious were the only ones there.

But then, just when he was about to dismiss the voice, he heard it again.

_"That's not the way, Dad. . . . Don't attack with anger or hate . . . that leads to the Dark Side. . . . You can't beat him using the tools of the Sith . . . you can only beat him as a Jedi Knight, with the Force as your ally. Remember Obi-Wan's teachings . . . they'll be what can save you. Fight him, Dad, as a Jedi." _

He swallowed, stunned; was it even possible? Could he really be hearing his unborn daughter's voice, calling him back from the darkness?

Whether it was or not, she was right, he thought. He couldn't fight evil with evil; that would only lead him down a path that he did not want to follow, one that he wouldn't let his child be threatened by. Anakin refused to let his child be destroyed by the Dark Side.

He wouldn't let anything happen to his child.

Taking a deep breath, Anakin closed his eyes ever so briefly, holding his lightsaber up in front of him as he opened them again, staring down the Sith Lord, who faltered ever so slightly.

"It's over," Anakin told him, calling on the Force as his guide. "You've lost, my lord."

"Perhaps," Sidious snarled, "but at least I have one small consolation prize. You think you can beat me, Skywalker? My apprentice already knows what to do; she has already put our plans into affect." He smiled. "Order 66 has begun."

Anakin has absolutely no idea what that meant, but he knew that it couldn't be good. Lunging forward, he blocked every attack the Sith Lord made with one of his own and with one, quick movement, he knocked the saber out of Darth Sidious' hand and plunged his own into the Sith Lord.

Sidious actually looked surprised as he looked down to see the blue blade in his chest, looking up at Anakin.

"So the prophecy begins . . ." he whispered. "But as you will learn, young Skywalker, it is only the beginning."

He smiled in a very cold manner, so very different than what Anakin had been used to—but then again, the disfigured man before him only bore a faint resemblance to the Chancellor he'd known—before he fell backwards, dead before he hit the floor.

Anakin swallowed as he sank to the ground, shaking as he fell to his knees, staring at the death and destruction around him. And it was only about to get worse, he knew, especially if Sidious had been telling the truth about Padmé.

Padmé . . .

Slowly lifting his head, Anakin forced himself to stand up. He had to know; he had to protect his child if it was true. He had to do _something_.

And with that, Anakin raced out of the Chancellor's office, making a break for the chambers that he shared with Padmé, praying that Sidious had been lying, that he was merely trying to distract Anakin . . .

But in his heart, Anakin knew he was telling the truth.

* * *

Padmé knew he was coming, even before he neared her quarters, even before he set foot in the elevator.

And she knew, too, what had happened in her master's office; she had sensed Lord Sidious' death the moment that it happened, knew the moment that he passed into the Force. And she'd heard his last command, clear in her mind as though he had been standing right next to her.

_"You will take my place as Empress, Padmé. . . . Do what must be done. . . . Do no hesitate, show no mercy. . . . You know what to do. . . ._"

"I do," Padmé whispered, more to herself than to her fallen master. She approached the comm. channel, lifting the hood of her gown so to conceal her features as she made the call to the clone commanders.

"This is Lady Varen," she said in a voice that barely carried a trace of Padmé Amidala. "Apprentice to Lord Sidious. My master has fallen; I am now in command," she told him flatly, leaving no room for argument. "Execute Order 66."

"Yes, my lady," the clone said at once, snapping to attention. "It will be done."

"Good," Padmé said before ending the call. She took a deep breath, lowering her hood away from her face.

"What's Order 66?"

Padmé froze; she hadn't even heard him approach. She knew, of course, that he would be coming here, but hadn't realized he was so close. How had he entered her chambers without her knowing? she wondered as she turned around to face Anakin, whose expression was twisted into betrayal.

"Anakin . . ."

What she planned on saying, Padmé had no idea, but she didn't even have the chance to as he stepped closer to her and as her brown gaze collided with his ice-blue one, she knew that he planned on killing her.

"How could you?" he whispered. "How could you use me like that? How could you betray me like that, after everything that we've been through?" Padmé was speechless. "Was all of it just a lie? Was—was that all I was to you, just . . . just a pawn so you could get my child?"

Padmé met his gaze evenly. "Yes," she said honestly. Anakin blanched; he hadn't expected her to confess it, no matter what he believed. "Everything that I have ever done, everything that I have ever said has always been in the service of my master, Anakin. It's who I am," she said with a shrug.

"Not anymore," Anakin snapped. "I am not going to let you destroy the Republic or the Jedi. I'll destroy you," he said, snapping on his lightsaber.

She just looked at him. "If you kill me," she reminded him, "then you kill our son."

Anakin froze, as though he had forgotten completely about their unborn child that lay inside of her. His gaze shifted downward and then back up again, about to say something when he flinched suddenly, turning quickly to look out of her window, directly at the Jedi Temple.

Already, there was smoke rising from it.

Shaken, Anakin turned back to her. "What's Order 66?" he asked again.

She smiled. "The order that all the clone troopers have programmed in their brains," she replied, "for them to turn on the Jedi when they receive and eliminate them. Right now, all over the galaxy, troopers are turning on their Jedi generals." She laughed. "They won't know what hit them."

Anakin went white. "You . . ."

"There's nothing you can say to me, Anakin," Padmé said simply. "This is who I am; you fell in love with someone who doesn't even exist. The Jedi mean nothing to me; I will rejoice when the last of your kind is wiped from the galaxy. But you gave me our child," she said, "so I'll let you go. Just leave, Anakin. You can't save them, any more than you can save our child."

"Don't bet on that," Anakin retorted, ice-blue eyes flashing. "This isn't over, Padmé. I'm going to come back for my child. I won't let our child be raised by you; I won't allow you to corrupt them."

She met his gaze evenly. "We'll see," she replied as he backed away from her, racing for the speeder that lay outside her balcony and jumping inside.

With one last look behind him, Anakin sped away from her, with Padmé watching him go, heading straight for the Jedi Temple.

Behind her, Threepio hovered nervously. "Is there anything I can do for you, my lady?"

"Help me get ready," Padmé answered. "I need to call a special meeting of the Senate to inform them of the Jedi traitors."


	2. One Rescued, One Lost

**The Cassie Skywalker Chronicles**

by Lady Dawson

Chapter One: One Rescued, One Lost

Staring vaguely out into space, Anakin took a deep breath, leaning his head back, trying to think of _anything_ but what had happened back on Coruscant. The pain was too raw, Padmé's betrayal too fresh. Everything that he _thought_ he had known, everything that he had _believed_ was nothing but a lie.

One thing was for certain, though; he would not let his child be corrupted by Padmé. He would not allow the baby to be raised in such evil. Bad enough that she would have to grow up in a galaxy ruled by the Sith.

Anakin knew what had happened back on Coruscant, at the Senate; Senator Organa, who helped him stage a rescue at the Temple, had told him everything. Padmé had gained control of the Senate by telling them of the Chancellor's "assassination" at the hands of the Jedi. They had unanimously voted her Supreme Chancellor and then voted to turn the Republic into the Galactic Empire, with Padmé as Empress. It was altogether too unreal, but Anakin knew that it was true.

At least they'd managed to rescue some of the Jedi, he thought. By the time Anakin got to the Temple, there were already clones everywhere, killing any Jedi that they saw. Masters, Knights, Padawans, even the younglings were being murdered before his eyes.

It was perhaps a miracle that they'd rescued as many as they did, he thought, pinching the bridge of his nose. He hadn't heard from any of the other Jedi who were off-planet, but this attack was happening everywhere; that much Padmé had told him before he raced for the Temple. And if this was happening everywhere, then that meant that there were probably very few survivors in the galaxy . . . it mean that . . . that there was a very good possibility that Obi-Wan was . . .

"No," Anakin muttered, giving himself a shake to clear his thoughts. He wasn't going to accept that. Obi-Wan _had_ to be alive. He wasn't sure if he could get through this without his best friend, his _brother_.

Obi-Wan had to be alive.

Hearing a knock on the cockpit door, Anakin turned around in the pilot's seat to see Senator Organa standing behind him.

"Any word?" he asked.

"Nothing," Anakin said quietly, turning away. They'd been trying to hail any Jedi on the comm., but so far, there was no reply. He'd tried calling his master directly, but either Obi-Wan was in trouble or he couldn't answer. Either way, there was no answer from anyone.

"What were you planning to do with the children?" Organa inquired as he stood impassively behind Anakin, who sighed.

"I didn't really have a plan," he admitted. "We can't really rebuild the Temple somewhere else; if she's as strong in the Force as I think she is, Padmé would sense it and send clones at our door. We have go into hiding and we can't do it together; too many Force-sensitives would be like a beacon for the Sith." He sighed, looking around at the Senator. "Did you know?"

"Know what? That my colleague and friend was a Sith Lord? That she was working with the Separatists all this time? No, Anakin, I didn't."

He nodded once, looking away. "I suppose that was the plan all along; she wanted us to believe the façade that she put up. They both wanted us to believe the lie so that we . . . we would do what they wanted us to do. And I played right into their hands," he muttered.

"I know it may not help much, but . . . I am as much at fault as you are," Organa said with infinite sympathy. "Padmé was my friend. I . . . I should have seen _something_; you would think I would be so used to political schemes that I would've seen this. And . . . perhaps I did," he said quietly. "There were times when . . . I don't know, when something didn't seem right about her. A word here or a phrase that seemed . . . off. If I'd thought about it . . ."

Anakin sighed. "I know, Senator."

Organa looked at him. "I know it may not help much, but you did the right thing in taking down the Chancellor. You trusted him, so I know it can't have been an easy thing for you to do. No one else will probably say it for a long while, so thank you, Master Skywalker." Anakin couldn't even force himself to fake a smile. "You know, I could take the children and put them up as war orphans. Many would be willing to take in an orphaned child."

"That's a good idea," Anakin agreed. "Thank you. I'm sorry, I—" He stopped as he caught an emergency code, the one used for Jedi.

Opening the communications, Anakin was relieved to see the familiar face of Obi-Wan Kenobi on the holoprojector.

"Obi-Wan!" he said. "You don't know how glad I am to see you!"

"Likewise," his old master said. "Anakin, my clone troops turned on me. I need help."

"It's happening everywhere," Anakin told him. "The Temple was attacked by an entire army. I was barely able to get a handful of younglings out alive." Obi-Wan's eyes widened in shock mixed with horror. "I'll explain what happened when you get here. I'm sending you our coordinates."

"All right," Obi-Wan said. "I'll see you shortly. Anakin . . . are you all right? You look . . ." He trailed off, as though he couldn't quite put his finger on the word.

Anakin swallowed. "I'll explain when you get here," he said monotonously.

Whether it was the tone he used or the expression he wore, Anakin didn't know, but Obi-Wan asked no more questions, simply nodded and ended the call, promising he would be there as soon as he could.

"One of our pilots can take over," Organa said, watching Anakin carefully. "You should take one of our cabins; you look like you could use a few hours' sleep. I'll wake you when Obi-Wan arrives."

Though he doubted he would get even an ounce of sleep, Anakin reluctantly agreed, allowing Organa to lead him to a vacant cabin. But to his surprise, the second his head hit the pillow, he was fast asleep.

* * *

"Anakin?"

Groaning slightly, Anakin was pulled from his sleep by someone shaking him gently, turning over to find Obi-Wan standing next to him, his expression unreadable.

"It's good to see you alive, my friend," Obi-Wan told him.

"You, too," Anakin muttered as he threw aside the blankets, pushing himself into a sitting position. Behind Obi-Wan, he saw Yoda leaning heavily on his cane, looking concerned as he watched them. "Master Yoda."

"Glad, I am to see you alive, young Skywalker," the green Master said with a nod to him. Anakin just nodded as he stood up, accepting his cloak as Obi-Wan handed it to him. "Talk we must about the happenings at the Temple and the Senate. What know, do you, about Senator Amidala's newly appointed position as Empress?"

Obi-Wan looked at him curiously and Anakin swallowed.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go to the conference room and I'll explain. But . . ." he said uneasily, glancing edgily at Obi-Wan. "There's some things I have to tell you that you're not gonna like."

His old master looked doubly worried, but followed him as they headed into the conference room, all three of them taking seats. Anakin took a deep breath, placing his hands together on the table, trying to figure out where to start.

"I should tell you that . . . I found out who Darth Sidious was," he said slowly, looking around at Obi-Wan. "It was—it was Palpatine; he was Darth Sidious." Both Obi-Wan and Yoda looked startled at this revelation. "I found out and Master Windu and a few other Council members went to stop them. When I got there, Master Windu was the only one left. He and I fought Sidious together and I managed to kill him, but not before he hit Master Windu with Force-lightning and hurled him out the window. But before he died, Sidious told me something . . . about Padmé. He said that she was his apprentice, that she was a Sith. And she confirmed it when I confronted her about it," he added, shaking his head in frustration.

"Anakin . . ." Obi-Wan whispered. "I'm sorry. I know how good of friends you two were."

"You don't know the half of it," Anakin said dejectedly. "Look, there's nothing you can say after I tell you this that's gonna make me feel any worse than I already do, so I'm just gonna tell you." He took a deep breath. "After the battle of Geonosis, Padmé and I were secretly married on Naboo." Obi-Wan opened his mouth in shock, but Yoda didn't seem at all surprised by this, as Anakin knew he would. There didn't seem to be much that surprised the old Master. "I didn't know it at the time, but Padmé had been ordered by Sidious to bear my child. After they met me, they realized that I was the Chosen One," he said bitterly, "and Sidious knew that any child of mine would be powerful in the Force. And he wanted my child to be raised as a Sith, so he used Padmé and my feelings for her to . . ." He trailed off, shaking his head. "And it worked," he added flatly. "She's pregnant, right now. Pretty close, too; she could go into labor at any time."

"Disturbing news this is," Yoda murmured. "A child of yours, Skywalker, raised in the Dark Side, a powerful enemy could become."

"I know," Anakin murmured. "That's why I have to go back. I have to finish this, Obi-Wan," he said desperately to his old master, who was still in a state of shock. "If I do nothing, then I have sentenced my son or daughter to a fate worse than death and eventually, I'll have to face them and—" He couldn't force himself to say the words, but all three of them knew what he was going to say. "I have to go back."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, looking at him directly. "What's your plan?"

"Half a plan's all I've got," Anakin replied. "I'm going to sneak onto Coruscant undetected. I think I can shield myself from Padmé, but . . . I have no idea if she has any other Sith working with her. For all we know, there could be hundreds. But I stay low until she gives birth and then I'm gonna break into her chambers and kidnap the baby, get them offworld and then I keep running. I'll get a ship, keep moving, and never stay in the same place for too long."

"It's not a bad plan," Obi-Wan admitted. "But like you said, you have no idea whether or not there are other Sith with Padmé; you could be walking right into a trap, Anakin. And the child will be well-protected. You said it yourself: she wanted your child to be raised in the Dark Side. She will not let go of the child so easily. She will make sure that the child is impossible to get to."

"Yeah, I know that," Anakin replied, "but I also know Padmé and I know what her security is like and I know how to get in and out of her chambers undetected. I've been doing it for three years. I know you don't like it, but I don't have a choice, Obi-Wan. If I do nothing . . ."

Obi-Wan considered him for a long moment, then stood up. "Then I'm going with you."

"No," Anakin protested. "I'm not going to let you risk your neck on my account, just because of my stupidity."

"And I am not about to let you die, my friend," he replied. "It's a dangerous mission and you could use some help. Anakin, you were played just as much as any of us were. Palpatine and Padmé used you. Granted, things may have gone differently had you not followed your emotions, but you acted on love. And without love, then you may have followed their path."

"I thought you were gonna tell me something about not forming attachments or something."

"Qui-Gon once told me that in a different galaxy, things would be different . . . that the Jedi Order would be different. And perhaps, if you had been allowed to be honest with me about your marriage, then things would have turned out differently than they did."

"Correct, Obi-Wan is," Yoda agreed, speaking for the first time for several moments. "Though forbidden attachments are, times there are when they are what saves a Jedi from the Dark Side. And believe I do that this is one of those times, Skywalker. Defeated Sidious, you could have not, were it not for the love you felt for the unborn child, you did."

Anakin swallowed; he wasn't wrong. Sometimes, he forgot just how clearly the old Jedi Master could see into his heart.

"After we take the younglings to Alderaan, we'll take a smaller ship back to Coruscant and lay low," Obi-Wan said. "And then we'll both go into hiding."

Though he understood, Anakin was slightly disappointed. "You won't be coming with us?"

"I'm afraid not, my friend," Obi-Wan told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Of course, I'll let you know where I settle, but it's safer for the two of you if I'm not with you. You Skywalkers are strong enough in the Force that you'll stick out like a sore thumb, but if too many Jedi are together, then Padmé is sure the sense our location."

Nodding briefly, Anakin looked down. "I understand . . . but I'm sure going to miss you."

"Let's make sure we succeed in our mission first before we start with the goodbyes," Obi-Wan said. "This isn't going to be an easy one."

"Since when are any of our missions easy?"

"True . . . but I think this one is going to be even more so . . ."

"Yeah," Anakin sighed. "If we pull this off, the Empire is never gonna stop hunting us."

* * *

Knowing that time was short, Anakin hadn't hesitated after they delivered the Jedi children to Alderaan; many of them were immediately taken in by caring families, though most of them were unaware that the children that they adopted had in fact been future Jedi Knights. The moment that the coast was clear, Anakin and Obi-Wan boarded a ship given to them by Organa and headed straight for the capital; when they arrived, they docked in the lower city and bided their time, abandoning their Jedi clothing for more civilian apparel and Obi-Wan shaved off his beard, though he vowed he was growing it back after Anakin laughed at him for about five minutes.

He did apologize for it, though; after everything that he'd gone through over the past few weeks, he really had needed a laugh. Besides, it was impossible for anyone to recognize the Jedi Master now; he looked a lot like he had when Anakin had first met him, thirteen years ago.

And anyway, they _did_ need to alter their appearances; Anakin had cut his long hair so short he looked like a Padawan again and he was growing a small beard. He doubted anyone would recognize them just by glancing at them, though sneaking into Padmé's quarters would be another story. But Anakin was sure that he could get in there; he had done it plenty of times before.

But this time, it was completely different.

She was Empress now; she was in a completely new wing, with added security, all of whom would undoubtedly shoot Anakin on sight. If he was spotted, there was no way that he would get out alive, much less rescue his child.

"Relax, Anakin."

Glancing around at Obi-Wan, Anakin took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but it was hopeless.

"I can't," he whispered. "If one thing goes wrong—if one little thing goes wrong, then . . ." He shook his head, leaning against the window, staring out into the streets of Coruscant, his gaze fixed upon the Senate, where his wife was. "I just can't stop worrying; what if something happens and we can't get her out?"

"That's the thing, Anakin, it can't go wrong," Obi-Wan said firmly, but gently. "We have to make sure that we succeed, because if there's one thing that this galaxy cannot afford, it's a Sith Lord born of your bloodline. The consequences of that are . . . far too ghastly to imagine." Anakin didn't bother to reply; he didn't want to imagine his child as a Sith either. "Just try to be patient; it's not one of your stronger suits, I know, but it won't be long before we have to break in. And you're going to need all the rest you can get for it."

Anakin shook his head. "I doubt I could sleep now."

"You should at least try," Obi-Wan told him, walking over to him and pushing him towards the bed. "At least for a little while, my friend."

Reluctantly, Anakin lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. He supposed he must have drifted off at some point, because the next thing he knew, his mind was plagued with images of Padmé, like the visions he'd had of her before, except he realized that this was happening as he saw it.

He saw Padmé in a white maternity shift, her large belly protruding as she lay on the bed, her forehead glistening with sweat as she gasped with pain and relief, laughing as a baby's cry rang out. A triumphant smile spread across her face as Anakin woke with a start, looking around at Obi-Wan.

"It's time. She gave birth to the baby."

* * *

Anakin kept his head lowered and his gaze straight ahead as they made their way to the maternity ward, where he could sense his wife. She was asleep, for now, but he knew it wouldn't be long before she woke; he might be able to mask his presence from her, but she was strong in the Force. She would sense that something was wrong and immediately go for the baby.

To her, that was all that mattered.

The maternity ward was relatively deserted, with only a few medical droids here and there, but none of them took a second glance at the two Jedi. The few clones that they'd seen, they hastily avoided, quickly taking another route until they had passed them.

Anakin took a deep breath as they finally reached the nursery; there was only a few children there, but one was the one he'd come here for.

"There she is," he whispered, almost breathlessly as he peered through the window, staring intently at the bundle of pink blankets.

She was so beautiful, he thought in awe, staring at his daughter for the first time, unaware of anything else. So small and delicate, but strong in the Force, he smiled, sensing that all too clearly.

As though she sensed her father's presence, his daughter's eyes fluttered open to look at him. His heart clenched as he found himself staring into his own ice-blue eyes, mirroring his so perfectly that there was no doubt that this was his daughter.

"She looks like you," Obi-Wan murmured as Anakin forced his legs to move, heading into the nursery, straight for his daughter, gently lifting her from the cradle, clutching her to his chest.

The infant girl squirmed in his arms, opening her mouth.

Thinking she was about to cry, Anakin shushed her. "Shh, it's okay, little girl," he whispered, clumsily trying to rock her back and forth to stop the tears before they even started. "Please, don't cry. We have to get you out of here, so you have to stay quiet for me, okay? It's okay, Daddy's here. Daddy's here," he crooned, but to his surprise, she just yawned, snuggling against his chest and closed her eyes.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Anakin looked back at Obi-Wan. "Okay . . . let's get out of here," he said.

Nodding once, Obi-Wan opened the door for him and they quickly made their way through the hospital, but they had barely taken a step outside the nursery when a pair of troopers spotted them.

"Hey! What are you doing?" one of them yelled, pulling out his blaster and firing, but Obi-Wan had his lightsaber out, easily deflecting the blaster fire, dispatching both of them while Anakin unsuccessfully tried to comfort his daughter, who'd woken up from the blaster fire and was now crying.

"That's going to get some attention," Anakin observed, pulling out his own lightsaber and holding his daughter closer. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Agreed."

* * *

Padmé was halfway out of her bed when she heard the blaster fire and instinctively froze, realizing what was going on. Anakin was here; he was fulfilling his promise to come back for his child.

Not even bothering to grab her robe, Padmé raced out of her room, catching the barest glimpse of Anakin and whom she was sure was Obi-Wan rounding the corner and she saw a bundle of pink blankets in Anakin's arms.

Glancing briefly at the fallen clones, she hurried into the nursery, looking quickly around at the newborn babies. Of the four babies that were born that night, there were two missing—and both of them were the ones that she had given birth to only a few hours earlier.

For one, brief moment, Padmé felt fear pass through her, sure that the last thirteen years had been for nothing and Anakin had managed to kidnap both of the children, but then, the nursing droid appeared from the room beyond and in its arms, it carried a bundle of blue blankets.

Relief surged through her as she hurried over to him, snatching her son out of the droid's arms.

"Is everything all right, Your Highness?" the nursing droid asked, seemingly surprised to see her.

"No, it is not," Padmé screeched at her. "You allowed two Jedi Knights to come in here and kidnap my daughter!" She glanced over at two clones that had appeared, having been alerted to the commotion. "Dispatch of this droid. Have her turned into spare parts," she snarled.

"Yes, Your Highness," one of them said. "I'll send a troop after the Jedi; they won't escape the Capital alive."

"That won't be necessary," Padmé replied, caressing her son's forehead with a small smile. "We have our prize."

Anakin may have thought he had won, but he would be in for a surprise, she thought, chuckling to herself as she carried her son back to her room, unwilling to let him out of her sight. He may have one child, but so did she.

She had what they had planned thirteen long years for.

She had the son of Skywalker.

And very soon, his Sith training would begin.


	3. A Ruse Unveiled

**The Cassie Skywalker Chronicles**

by Lady Dawson

Chapter Two: A Ruse Unveiled

"All right, try it again!"

Reaching across from where she was lounging in the pilot's seat, Cassie Windchaser tried to turn on the engine of the _Rogue Knight _for what felt like the thousandth time, but just like every single time before, it just sputtered and stalled before dying again. The young Jedi Knight-in-training let out a groan of frustration, slamming her fist down on the control panel, running a hand through her blonde hair.

"No," she said, trying to keep her emotions in check as she spoke into the comm.. Her father Aaron was in the engine room, working on the ship, trying to figure out what was going on with it, but so far, he wasn't having much luck. "That's not it, Dad. Have you tried the power coupling?" she suggested. "Because that was acting funky a couple weeks ago; you said so."

"Yeah, I know . . . but I already checked it and it's okay, Cass," her father said on the other end, his voice slightly muffled, suggesting that he was underneath the engines. "I'm starting to think that problem is . . . here, hang on a second . . . let me check on something real quick . . ."

Pushing herself out of the pilot's seat, Cassie left the cockpit, heading first to the kitchen to grab something for both of them before making her way to the engine room in the back of the ship, where her father was lying underneath the engines, fiddling with something there while a pile of unused tools lay untouched next to him.

Aaron was an amazing mechanic; he could fix anything that was in front of him, sometimes things that people said _couldn't_ be fixed. He had a gift with mechanics that Cassie joked sometimes that he was part machine. But he hated using tools, preferring to work with his hands.

Squatting down next to him, Cassie passed him some rations, which he took gratefully, shoving it all into his mouth while working on the engine at the same time. "Any luck?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Aaron said, grunting as he tugged on something. "Hey, pass me that hydrospanner, will you? Thanks," he said as Cassie handed him the tool that he asked for.

"Sure," Cassie said, squinting at the engines, but she never had much of an eye for mechanics, despite his attempts to teach her. She could fix _some_ stuff, but she didn't have the talent for it that her dad did; her skill mostly came to _flying_ ships. She'd flown on a couple different models with no effort; flying came as effortlessly to her as walking did. Her dad started teaching her to fly when she was only four years old, letting her sit on his lap as he flew, sometimes letting her take the controls. Now, she pretty much was the pilot for the _Rogue Knight_—when Aaron wasn't secretly training her to be a Jedi Knight, like he was.

Aaron Windchaser had once been a Jedi Knight of the Old Republic, before the Sith had overthrown it and turned it into the Galactic Empire, taking control of the galaxy and hunting the Jedi down to oblivion. Now, there were only a handful of Jedi Knights left in the galaxy, Aaron and Cassie amongst them. And that might even be stretching it a bit; Aaron admitted that he only knew of two that were still alive and Cassie had only met Ben Kenobi a handful of times. They'd never stayed in one place too long, always keeping on the move so the Sith would never catch up with them. They made their way by doing any job that would pay enough to keep the _Rogue Knight_ floating and since Aaron didn't have a problem doing anything that would annoy the Empire, most of the work they did was illegal.

Which also tended to get them on the bounty hunters' radar, but like Cassie always said, they were going to be on their hit list anyway, since they were Jedi on the run, so what difference did it really make?

Aaron grunted as he pulled a part out, crawling out from underneath the engine and holding it up triumphantly. "There we go!" he said to Cassie, who just looked at the part curiously. "That's the problem right there; it's rusted through and wouldn't even fit anymore. We'll have to get a new one." He let out a sigh. "Hopefully one of the dealers around here will have it."

"And if they don't?" Cassie asked, cocking an eyebrow. Aaron managed a weak smile.

"Then . . . we'll have to be here for awhile," he admitted. Cassie shook her head and he chuckled, ruffling her blonde hair affectionately. "Hey, bright side, at least you'll get to see a Podrace like you wanted to."

"Yeah, too bad you wouldn't let me off the ship back on Malastar," Cassie returned. "I could've seen it there."

"Hey, there were a lot of Imperials hanging around there; last thing I wanted to do was attract attention."

"There is no way we could have attracted attention; we're father and daughter who happen to live on a ship and doing jobs on different worlds," Cassie countered. "There's nothing unusual about that."

Aaron shot her a look. "Do you _want_ to stay on the ship?"

Cassie blanched. "Shutting up now."

"Good girl," Aaron said, suppressing a grin. He glanced down at the part in his hand as he got to his feet. "All right, let's go check out the dealers. Don't forget your lightsaber, all right?"

"You don't need to tell me twice," Cassie said dryly. "It's only been seventeen_ years_, you know." Aaron shot her another look. "Anyway, wasn't it _you_ that gave me the whole speech about 'this weapon is your life' and 'make sure that it's always out of sight'?"

"I don't sound anything like that," Aaron defended as Cassie tossed him his jacket, pulling it on as she grabbed her own and disembarked, stepping out into the desert planet of Tatooine.

The planet was even hotter than Cassie thought it would be and it wasn't long before she was fanning herself, though she noticed that Aaron was far from overheated, though still a little heated. He smiled faintly.

"Of all the planets that we had to break down on, it had to be this one," he said dryly, shaking his head. "I never wanted to come back to this planet."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Your grandmother died here," Aaron said shortly, looking forlorn for a moment. Cassie stared. "I grew up here, back in Mos Eisley. Spent the first nine years of my life here, until they found me and took me off world." The look that he gave Cassie said all too clearly which 'they' he meant.

"You never told me that," Cassie said, amazed. Her father didn't talk about his past very much; he didn't even tell Cassie about her mother until she started asking questions about her and even then, he was reluctant to say anything. She'd had to ask Ben on their brief trips to Nar Shaddaa, where he was hiding. Ben had only told her that she wasn't the woman that Aaron thought she was and that she broke her father's heart. After that, Cassie stopped asking questions, but she still would've liked to know her mother's name.

Aaron shrugged as he twirled the broken part in his hand, eyeing a couple passing Imperials carefully, but they seemed to be more interested in something else than the Windchasers.

"It wasn't important," he murmured, more to himself than to Cassie, who sighed. There were times when her father put up this brick wall and no one could tear it down, not even her. She loved her dad, but she wished he'd open up to her a little more. He had so many secrets that sometimes, she was afraid that they'd tear him down.

Leading the way through the spaceport, Aaron considered a couple of the dealers. "Here, let's try this one," he said, making his way into one of them with Cassie bringing up the rear.

The alien that owned the shop was far from friendly—though after she saw a couple roughhousing outside of the shop, Cassie began to wonder if there was anyone who _was_ friendly on this planet—but Aaron was able to make a deal with him easily, getting the part that they needed without much fuss.

It took some badgering—they had a job waiting for them on Onderon—but Aaron finally gave in to going to see the Podrace like Cassie wanted to. There was supposed to be one that afternoon; it wouldn't put them more than a day off schedule.

Cassie was _thrilled_; she'd been begging Aaron to let her go to one of the races since she was seven, but this was the first time he'd given in.

She quickly realized why her father had said that under no circumstances would she ever be getting into one of those speeders; there were absolutely _no_ rules to this race! The competitors bashed into each other, messed with each other's engines and did everything possible to knock one another out of the race. Cassie lost count of how many times one of them was thrown out of the race because of a nasty, dirty trick that one of their opponents played. She was on her seat pretty much the entire time, her gaze glued to the racetrack below.

"Wow," she breathed when they were in the final lap. "This is awesome! Hey, Dad, next time we're—Dad?" she asked, noticing suddenly that her father had disappeared.

Looking around quickly, Cassie closed her eyes and reached out with the Force, searching for her father, finding him quickly not too far away.

Confused as to why he would leave without saying anything to her, Cassie quickly got up, abandoning the race to go see what was going on. She made her way through the spectators that were either cheering or jeering the remaining racers—she was pretty sure there were only three left, if not two—clamoring up to where she sensed her father.

"Dad?" she called, looking around with a frown.

"I'm here, Cass!"

Aaron was walking out from a nearby cantina, looking very shaken. His face was very pale and his ice-blue eyes—identical to Cassie's own—were sweeping the area, like he always did whenever he thought there was trouble. And he was agitated, Cassie noted at once, sensed the disturbance in her dad. She didn't even need the Force for that; she knew him well enough just by looking at him.

"Dad, what's wrong?" she asked at once, her hand moving towards her hidden lightsaber, thinking that they would have to fight their way out of here. It had only happened a couple of times, but there was always a chance someone would realize they were Jedi. There were a lot of people in the galaxy who still remembered the Jedi Order and many of them were not allies. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Aaron replied, not looking at her.

She frowned at him. "Well, you don't look fine."

Her dad sighed, still glancing around. "It's okay, Cass. Everything's gonna be all right," he assured her. "So who won?"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I don't know, I left as soon as I noticed that you were missing. Dad, what's going on?"

"Nothing that you need to worry about," he answered, placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her around, steering her back towards the ship. "I've got everything under control?"

"Dad, when are you gonna stop treating me like I'm twelve?" she complained. "I'm _seventeen_ years old, for Force's sake. I'm not a kid, anymore, Dad."

"I know that," he replied quietly.

"So when are you gonna stop acting like I am?" she demanded, pulling away to look at him quickly. "I'm not stupid, you know. I know that something's going on that you're not telling me."

"And for that, I'm sorry," Aaron said, running a hand through his hair distractedly, looking quickly around. "But it's better that you don't know what's going on right now. Trust me," he added, walking away.

Frustrated, Cassie walked after him, slightly annoyed with her dad for not telling her what was going on. She had never seen him like this before; he was always worried and always acted like he had the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders, but now he was . . . she couldn't describe it exactly, but more like _anguished_, like he'd just found something out.

What had happened while he was at that cantina?

* * *

Anakin could feel his daughter's frustration all the way back to the ship, knew how aggravated she was with him, but he couldn't tell her what was happening, even if he was willing.

It was so hard for him to look at his daughter and realize that he was talking to a grown woman. Because like it or not, Cassie was growing up. She wasn't a little girl anymore, no matter how much he wanted to keep her like that. Cassie was a woman now; more than that, she was a Jedi Knight in her own right. He had long ago run out of things to teach her.

She was his daughter through and through; she excelled at the Jedi Arts the same way Anakin had. It made him wonder that, if he hadn't missed out on nine years of Jedi training, if he'd been made a Knight sooner than he had.

But despite knowing all of that, he couldn't tell her what was going on. He hadn't even told her anything about her mother or what had really happened all those years ago, at the fall of the Republic.

He hadn't even told her that he was really Anakin Skywalker, the Hero With No Fear. All Cassie knew was that he'd been a Jedi Knight and fought in the Clone Wars; nothing about his true identity.

Cassie didn't even know she was a Skywalker.

Anakin couldn't count how many times he'd thought about telling her; when she was a kid, it had made sense, because he knew that kids sometimes said things without even thinking about it. She might have accidentally told the wrong person. But as she grew older, the more she understood that there were things that they couldn't tell anyone.

Sure, if he'd told her, he doubted that she would tell anyone; she was smart enough to keep it to herself. But still, Anakin hesitated. Being the Chosen One had put so much pressure on his shoulders; the last thing he wanted to do was put that same pressure on Cassie's, simply because she was his daughter. He wanted to keep her as far away from this war and the Sith as possible.

But now, he wasn't really sure how that was possible; he wasn't going to be here to protect her now.

As much as it pained him, Anakin knew that he was going to have to leave Cassie, if only to protect her. He wouldn't let Padmé lay a hand on his daughter; he wouldn't let her destroy Cassie.

She wouldn't understand, now, why her father would just disappear, why he would take off, leave her here. Anakin dreaded to think of what she was going to think, but he didn't have a choice.

Swallowing as he pushed himself underneath the engine again, Anakin closed his eyes briefly, thinking about what had happened in the arena.

It was supposed to be for Cassie, to let her see the Podrace like she'd always wanted; sometimes, it was amazing just how much like him she really was. The last thing he'd wanted was to ruin it for her, but he'd heard commotion coming from the cantina and went to investigate, letting Cassie enjoy the race.

He'd slipped through the crowded cantina, wondering what was happening, and that was when he saw the HoloNet. Anakin rarely watched it, mostly because he didn't want to see the woman who betrayed him so cleanly and Padmé was on there so often, but as his gaze collided with it, he found himself unable to pull away, horror rising through him.

He had always wondered why he and Obi-Wan hadn't been pursued when they ran from Coruscant with Cassie. There were thousands of ships around the planet and on it, yet they hadn't even followed them. That had never made any sense to him; certainly, there was a bounty placed on his head later, but he couldn't understand why Padmé hadn't followed him that day.

But now it did.

As he watched the HoloNet, Padmé was talking. ". . . kidnapping attempt when he was only a few hours old," she was saying. "And for this reason, I decided it best to keep him a secret, but now that he is old enough, it is time for him to take his place beside me as the Prince of the Galactic Empire." She turned then, moving her hand towards someone in the background and a figure stepped from the shadows, into the limelight.

Anakin felt his heart constrict as he saw the young man that stood next to Padmé; he was nearly as tall as Anakin was, with dark hair and eyes like Padmé. There was too much resemblance between him and Padmé to dismiss as coincidence. Even the calm, collected look on his face was an eerily mirror of the Empress's.

In that moment, Anakin realized his mistake, the reason why Padmé had never pursued him.

Cassie was not the only child Padmé gave birth to that night. His daughter had a twin brother.

He had a son.

A son that had been raised in the ways of the Sith by a mother who wanted nothing more than to use him as a weapon against the Jedi. And she had succeeded, he knew, seeing the lightsaber—clearly, a Sith weapon, from the design—that hung at his son's side.

For one moment, Anakin thought that everything would come crashing down around him.

He'd failed.

The one thing that he'd always been relieved by, despite all the destruction around them, was that he had saved his daughter from a fate worse than death. But now, after all these years, he realized his flaw.

He had saved his daughter, but doomed his son. And in so doing, he had pitted his children against each other in a way that there could be only one outcome, for them to face each other in the ultimate battle. The thought almost sent him crashing into the counter, but he gripped it, trying to steady himself.

Then Cassie came looking for him and he'd forced himself to calm down, trying to mask his emotions from her, but Cassie, perceptive as ever, could see that something was bothering him.

But he couldn't tell her. He couldn't.

He wouldn't let her follow him into the jaws of death. And he wanted to keep her in the dark about her mother for as long as possible.

If Cassie knew that not only was she the daughter of a Jedi Knight, but a Sith Lord as well, she would question herself, her abilities. She was one of the most powerful Jedi Knights to walk the galaxy, but if she knew the truth, she would question whether she had darkness in her. Anakin didn't want that. A grown woman, she might be, but so long as he could, he was going to protect her. And the only way to do that was to let his daughter go.

And he had to save his son.

Exhaling slowly, Anakin opened his eyes again, reaching up and moving the part they'd bought that afternoon into place, securing it carefully. He wasn't going to leave until he was sure that Cassie would be able to escape.

Taking a deep breath, Anakin began to get to work.

* * *

Cassie woke suddenly in the night, her eyelids fluttering as she nearly fell sideways out of the pilot's seat.

Groaning slightly as she rubbed the back of her neck, Cassie decided not for the first time that sleeping in the pilot's seat was probably_ not_ the best tactic. These chairs really weren't meant for sleeping. But what had caused her abrupt awakening, anyway? she wondered.

"Dad?" she called out sleepily. She was still peeved at him for this afternoon, but if there was something going on, then he was probably already awake. He was a light sleeper, anyway; the slightest noise would have him on his feet, lightsaber activated, ready for battle. "Dad, are you awake?"

No answer.

Cassie sighed, getting up from the seat and making her way down to the dormitories, knocking once on her dad's door before pushing it open.

That was all it took for her to know that something was wrong; her dad's bed hadn't even been slept in and there was something . . . off.

But more importantly, Aaron Windchaser was nowhere to be seen.

Turning around and scanning her surroundings quickly, Cassie stretched out with the Force, trying to find her father desperately, but he had cloaked himself from her. Worry rose through Cassie at once; her dad never cloaked himself from her, not once. Not even that time on Ord Mantell when he'd been ambushed by about four or five bounty hunters.

Pulling out her communicator, Cassie punched in her dad's, trying desperately to hail him, but it was useless. Either he wasn't answering or he couldn't.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Cassie whispered, almost afraid. "What's going on?"

She was halfway out of his dormitory when something caught her eye and she turned around quickly, her heart racing when she saw something sitting on her father's bedside table.

A very important something . . . the one thing he'd never leave behind . . .

Slowly, Cassie crossed the room, picking up her father's lightsaber and turning it over in her hand, an icy feeling going through her as she recalled his attitude that afternoon. Something had happened in that cantina; she just didn't know what and now, he had taken off in the middle of the night, without his lightsaber, and cloaked himself from Cassie?

Something had to be _very_ wrong.

Not thinking twice, Cassie raced from the _Rogue Knight_, knowing that if she didn't find her father _now_, then their lives would be forever changed.

Little did Cassie know, it was already too late.

**AN:** Guys, I am _so_ sorry about the late update. I really wanted to post this a few weeks ago, but go figure, my computer decided to be dumb and wouldn't let me log into my account. Finally managed to get it to work, but anyway . . . sorry! Hope you enjoyed it!

Lady Dawson


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